Santa Cruz Verapaz

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Santa Cruz Verapaz
Coordinates: 15 ° 22 ′  N , 90 ° 26 ′  W
Map: Guatemala
marker
Santa Cruz Verapaz​
Santa Cruz Verapaz on the map of Guatemala
Basic data
Country Guatemala
Department Alta Verapaz
City foundation May 3, 1543
Residents 19,000  (2006)
- in the metropolitan area 9,000
Detailed data
surface 48 km 2
Population density 396 inhabitants / km 2
height 1406  m
City structure 4th
Waters Río Cahabón
Post Code 16002
Time zone UTC −6
City patron Cross , San Cristóbal
Website www.inforpressca.com/santacruzav/
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Santa Cruz Verapaz is a small town in Guatemala and the administrative seat of the large municipality of the same name ( Municipio ) in the Alta Verapaz department . Around 19,000 people live in the 48 km² municipality and around 9,000 in Santa Cruz.

geography

Santa Cruz Verapaz is located in the southwest of Alta Verapaz on the upper reaches of the Río Cahabón at an altitude of about 1,400 m. The majority of the municipal area extends in the surrounding mountainous country and is characterized by cloud forest and a humid, temperate climate.

Santa Cruz borders the municipality of Cobán to the north, Tactic to the east, San Cristóbal Verapaz to the west and the municipality of San Miguel Chicaj in the Baja Verapaz department to the south .

population

The majority of the population belongs to the Maya groups Pocomchí and Kekchí , there are also members of smaller indigenous communities. The Ladinos make up around a fifth of the population, some of which also have German origins. At the end of the 19th century there was a wave of immigrants from Germany in Alta Verapaz, a few decades later several families from Italy settled in Santa Cruz Verapaz . The names of some businesses and shops still refer to the owners' European roots.

The city of Santa Cruz Verapaz is divided into four districts ("barrios") Santa Elena, Santa Cecilia, Santo Tomás and Santa Cruz, plus the five settlements ("colonias") Milano, Los Ángeles, El Bosque, Oro Verde and Los Olivos. The rest of the municipality consists of the seven rural communities ("aldeas") Acamal, Chicoyoj, Chijou, Chiquiguital, Chitul, Najquitob and Xhixajau, which are further subdivided into 57 smaller districts and hamlets.

history

The peaceful advancing into the Verapaz region Dominicans - monks Juan de Torres, Pedro de Angulo and Luis Cáncer founded Santa Cruz on May 3, 1543 in the territory of Munchú, the place at first why Santa Cruz Munchú, then later Santa Cruz de Santa Elena was called. The foundation was officially registered on May 1, 1546 in San Juan Chamelco . Shortly thereafter, one of the first churches in the Verapaz region was built in Santa Cruz. In 1976 it was badly damaged by an earthquake. On September 9, 1830, Santa Cruz Verapaz was raised to a municipality, which was enlarged in 1916 by the two hamlets Chimaxpop and Chojal, which had previously belonged to Tactic.

Economy and Transport

Santa Cruz is very conveniently located on the CA 14 road (also national road 5), which leads from Cobán to El Rancho ( El Progreso ). From there you can take the CA 9 motorway to Guatemala City in the highlands or to Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast. From San Cristóbal it is 197 km to Guatemala City and 15 km to Cobán, the capital of the Alta Verapaz department. In addition, the national road 7 branches off from Santa Cruz in a westerly direction, which leads via San Cristóbal Verapaz to Quiché and Huehuetenango . Therefore, Santa Cruz benefits from through traffic. The local people live mainly from agriculture, forestry and timber industry , as well as from services and crafts.

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